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Antonio D'Arcangelis | Archive | Email |
Staff Writer


Through The Wire - Week 11
11/14/16; Updated: 11/15/16

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Targeting weekly waiver picks is a completely subjective business, but this column hopes to point out some obvious and not-so-obvious selections to help your team from week to week while you strive to collect fantasy wins, reach your league playoffs and win the elusive title that your friends say is out of your grasp. While I’m a big proponent of making trades to bolster your roster, the waiver wire can be an almost limitless resource when it comes to discovering fantasy value in strange places. Each week, I’ll highlight some of the popular (and not-so-popular) players who can help your squad and may still be available in your league.

Feedback is always welcome, appreciated and encouraged. I’ll get to as many e-mails as I can.



Tyreek Hill (13 targets in Week 10) )will be a focal point of the offense while Jeremy Maclin is out.


Quarterbacks

Tyrod Taylor, BUF – Taylor is the most dynamic QB still available in about 25-50 percent of fantasy leagues, and he’s coming off a bye week that gave LeSean McCoy and IR/designated for return Sammy Watkins a week to heal up. McCoy should be much closer to 100 percent but Watkins isn’t eligible to return until Week 12. Taylor’s value is enhanced by his ability to run (4 rushing TDs in 2016) and a relatively high floor.

UPDATE: Watkins is still not practicing, but Marquise Goodwin can beat the Cincy DBs deep and I think Taylor is too much for the Bengals to handle. Taylor could surprise with big numbers this week.

Blake Bortles, JAC – Bortles is owned in about 65-90 percent of leagues, but with the byes crunching rosters over the past few weeks, it’s possible many owners in deeper leagues saw him as dead weight and dropped him. Lately, he hasn’t been awful (265-2-1 on 32-of-49 passing, fumble; 11 rushing yards, 2XP in Week 10) – and he’s worth a look heading into a relatively favorable Week 11 matchup with the Lions. I’m expecting the Lions to score quite a bit, but Bortles is starting to click with Allen Robinson and deserves QB1 consideration despite his tendency to throw picks.

Colin Kaepernick, SF – Like Taylor, Kaepernick’s rushing ability makes him a solid fantasy asset. He’s rushed for at least 55 yards in three of the four games he played this season, and has thrown for 608-3-1 over his last two games. He’s available in about 75-85 percent of fantasy leagues and makes a good pickup heading into a matchup with the Patriots – a squad likely to run up the score and invite some garbage time passing.

Updates

Joe Flacco, BAL – Flacco’s 296-3-2 (2XP) was about what I expected in a Thursday game with the Browns. He’s got a much tougher matchup facing the Cowboys in Week 11, but the Dallas secondary is its weakest unit right now.

Alex Smith, KC – Once again, Smith laid an egg in a favorable matchup. He’s a useless fantasy option because of the offensive philosophy in KC and his inability to go vertical in the passing game.

Running Backs

Thomas Rawls, SEA – Rawls (fibula) is still available in about 20-50 percent of leagues but is expected to be back for the Week 11 tilt with the Eagles, and gets a couple of favorable matchups (@TB, CAR) the following two weeks. He should be owned in all formats after this waiver wire rotation.

UPDATE: Rawls is practicing to play this week, according to Pete Carroll. This might not be the best week to gauge Rawls’ value down the stretch, but it will be important to watch for setbacks and how he’s used.

Rob Kelley, WAS – Kelley (40-80 percent owned) carried the rock 22 times for 97 yards and hauled in his only target for a two-yard loss in Sunday's 26-20 win over the Vikings. He’s not a high-upside RB in PPR formats but seems to have surpassed Matt Jones (healthy scratch in Week 10) and should be owned in all formats.

UPDATE: Jay Gruden said the team isn’t giving up on Jones, but it’s obvious that Kelley is the lead back in Washington.

C.J. Prosise, SEA – Prosise is owned in just 25-65 percent of fantasy leagues and had a breakout week against the Patriots with 66 rushing yards on 17 carries and 7-87-0 on seven targets. Expect him to provide a change-of-pace role with Rawls back and Christine Michael (hamstring) losing touches and seeing his fantasy stock plummet.

UPDATE: Prosise is likely to be the most valuable back this week for Seattle though that’s likely to change once Rawls is 100 percent. Pete Carroll has also stopped talking about Michael altogether which means this is likely the Prosise-Rawls show going forward.

Damien Williams, MIA – Jay Ajayi is the undisputed lead back in Miami, but Williams (4-7 percent owned) is getting red zone work and passing down snaps. He’s got at least 7 standard scoring fantasy points in four of his last five games and TDs in three of his last four. Do not sleep on this guy – he could be a valuable fantasy asset down the stretch.

Fitzgerald Toussaint, PIT – If the Steelers can jump out to a big lead against the Browns in Week 11, Toussaint could get some work to spell Le’Veon Bell. With DeAngelo Williams out a few weeks following a knee procedure, he’s a valuable handcuff.

Updates

Peyton Barber, TB – Doug Martin (hamstring) was active in Week 10 and Barber rushed for just 38 yards on 12 carries. He might be safe to drop at this point.

Chris Ivory, JAC – Ivory’s 31 rushing yards on nine carries and 2-10-0 receiving didn’t help fantasy owners much, but he’s getting half the touches and is still worth owning in 12-team formats. He’s a better goal line back than T.J. Yeldon who excels more in the passing game.

Paul Perkins, NYG – UPDATE: Rashad Jennings ran with purpose this week, relegating Perkins to a secondary option in the backfield. Perkins finished with 31 rushing yards on nine carries and no receptions despite three targets, while Jennings racked up 87 rushing yards on 15 carries and 3-22-0 on six targets from Eli Manning.

Kenneth Dixon, BAL – Dixon had the best game of his young career, rushing for 38 yards on five carries and hauling in 5-42-0 on seven targets. He’s looking at a timeshare with Terrance West but could see more touches coming his way over the next few weeks.

Kapri Bibbs, DEN – Bibbs finished with 22 yards on seven carries and wasn’t a factor in the passing game. He’s a low-upside bench stash.

James Starks, GB – Starks played a little over 70% of the snaps in Week 10, totaling just 33 yards on 7 carries but catching a TD pass from Aaron Rodgers (3-11-1 on four targets) to salvage a decent fantasy day.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

Jeremy Kerley, SF – Kerley is owned in just 15-25 percent of fantasy leagues but remains a decent risk-reward WR3/flex option in 12-team leagues. His Week 10 numbers (7-71-1, lost fumble) should see his ownership increase.

Tyreek Hill, KC – The Chiefs don’t throw that much, but Hill is now a huge part of their offense and makes for an intriguing flex option the next few weeks. He’s coming off his third solid game in four weeks with 10-89-0 on 13 targets from Smith. He’s a must-own WR3/4 in 12-team leagues going forward.

Pierre Garcon, WAS – Garcon’s longest gain in Week 10 was just 17 yards, but he’s making an impact as a valuable target on his short and intermediate routes and finished with 6-81-0 on 10 targets. He’s worth consideration in Week 11 against the struggling Packers, who allowed Titans receivers to rack up 295 yards and five TDs on Sunday, and is just 25-40 percent owned.

DeVante Parker, MIA – Parker hauled in 5-103-0 on eight targets yards in Sunday's 31-24 win over the Chargers and seems to be over his hamstring injury. He’s someone to add for his burgeoning upside the next five weeks (@LAR, SF, @BAL, ARI, @NYJ) and is still available in 40-60 percent of leagues.

TE Martellus Bennett, NE – Bennett’s fantasy stock has taken a hit the past few weeks, but he’s still available in about 15-30 percent of fantasy leagues and remains a high-upside play in the potent Pats’ offense. There’s still plenty of value in Bennett, who’s among the top 10 in fantasy points for TEs.

UPDATE: Rob Gronkowski may or may not have a punctured lung, so follow the news of his status if you’re banking on deploying Bennett as a TE1 this week.

Eli Rogers, PIT – UPDATE: Rogers will see an abundance of targets with Sammie Coates dealing with two (two!!) broken fingers and both Darrius Heyward-Bey and Markus Wheaton sidelined against the Browns in Week 11. Rogers is only 10-25 percent owned but could be approaching must-own status in 12-team leagues.

Cameron Meredith, CHI – UPDATE: With Alshon Jeffrey suspended for the next four games (PEDs) and the Bears once again struggling to find an offensive identity, look for Meredith to get a bump in targets against the Giants and in subsequent weeks up until Week 15.

Updates

Mike Wallace, BAL – Wallace had 4-59-0 (five targets) in Week 10 but no TDs. Steve Smith looked sharp in his second game back from an ankle injury. Wallace has solid upside and could easily beat the Dallas secondary deep in Week 11.

TE Jason Witten, DAL – Witten had a solid week of action with 6-59-0 on eight targets and now has 44-483-2 on 63 targets this season. Only Greg Olsen, Dennis Pitta and Kyle Rudolph have more targets this season, and Jordan Reed also has 63. Wow.

TE Zach Ertz, PHI – Ertz had another efficient performance with 6-55-0 on seven targets in Week 10. He’s had two good weeks in a row but has yet to haul in a TD this season.

Quinton Patton, SF – Patton was targeted nine times in Week 10 but finished with just 3-52-0. He’s a forgettable fantasy asset but is still relevant in 12-team and deeper leagues.

Rishard Matthews, TEN – Another week, another TD. Matthews (3-63-1 in Week 10) has now scored in five of his last six games and 36-483-6 on the season. He’s still only owned in about 50-75 percent of leagues despite a high floor and averaging about 6-7 targets over his last four games.

TE Zach Miller, CHI – Jay Cutler had a bad game and Miller finished with just 4-32-0 on seven targets. He was a bust this week but could be utilized more against the Giants in Week 11.

UPDATE: Yep, the Jeffrey news definitely means Miller should get more balls thrown in his direction this week.

TE C.J. Fiedorowicz, HOU – Speaking of busts and bad QBs, C.J.’s 3-26-0 was a monumental disappointment after five straight weeks of at least four catches and three TDs over that same span.